# How to do a salt test



## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

This is how I do my salt test. Salt has an amazing property where RH% will be pretty much nearly be 75% when it is in a saturated condition with water.
(Look for Sodium Chloride, aka. Salt)
http://www.omega.com/temperature/z/pdf/z103.pdf

Here's what you'll need:
Salt (I use Morton Salt)
Small Ziploc© Bag (Small as possible)
Bottle cap (Gatorade cap works best. Wide&shallow works best. I'll use water bottle cap for this)
Toothpick (whatever to mix the salt)
Hygrometer to be calibrated










First, put salt in the bottle cap










Then, put couple drops of water in the salt. Notice it's partially wet. You want the salt to suck up all the water.










Mix the salt/water mix so it will be a good mix.










Once you have the saturated salt, put it into a Ziploc bag with your hygrometer. Pinch up the center of the Ziploc bag so it will inflate the bag. While you are doing this, seal the bag with your other hand. The bags should be inflated so it won't cover the sensor opening of the hygrometer or the bottle cap.










Give it couple of hours for the RH% to stabilize. I think 6 hours should be sufficient time to do this.










Once the RH% stabilizes, calibrate your hygrometer within the Ziploc bag. On HygroSet, I'll have to twist the dial (clockwise for +RH% and counter-clockwise for -RH%. Press the Set button.)

On Xikar hygrometer, press "Calibrate".

It might be easier to use a tip of a pen to press the button. If you want, you can leave the bag for another 6 hours and make sure the reading stabilizes at 75%.

That's it! Enjoy your calibrated hygrometer! :thumb:


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## canuck2099 (Oct 13, 2010)

Wow. That's cool. Thanks for the info !


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## Batista30 (Sep 13, 2010)

If a how to hasn't been done already for the salt test, this is perfect and simple for someone like me.:bitchslap: Great Post with step by step instruction and PICTURES!!!(I like pictures)


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## logos (Jul 27, 2010)

great post and nice visuals!


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## dukeofbluz (Dec 16, 2009)

Thank you for posting this, i have to do it in a day or so.

Duke


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## vtxcigar (Nov 25, 2010)

I had read somewhere else that the saturated salt solution will be 70%, not 
75%, so when I did it I calibrated my hygrometer off by 5%. I checked your 
link, and it looks pretty legit. Looks like time to recalibrate my hygro.
Thanks for posting this!


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Excellent how-to! I think this is sticky-worthy!!!


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## marked (Jul 29, 2010)

I use a smallish tupperware container to do my salt tests in. They're big enough that I can set the hygrometers up with the little built in leg, and can see them through the side of the container. I use a tablespoon sized measuring spoon to put the salt in. The measuring spoons I have are plastic and have flat bottoms, so they're stable. I also find it easier to work with because it has a handle.


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## mrmikey32 (Dec 7, 2010)

I have done this, and tried a few variables as well. Make sure you keep it in a constant temp... I know its kind of a given, but it will mess with it a lot.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

great post - great info - just asked this question earlier and got the "salt test" answer from Zfrog, then saw this post. This forum is awesome for getting info...


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## logos (Jul 27, 2010)

Oldmso54 said:


> great post - great info - just asked this question earlier and got the "salt test" answer from Zfrog, then saw this post. *This forum is awesome for getting info*...


exactly!


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## Hall25 (Dec 16, 2010)

Great Info!!!

Thanks
JH


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## Sarge (Nov 21, 2010)

definitely helped seeing photos of everything. definitely still didn't do anything for me.  

Just going off what I found online w/ no pictures I did it right maybe 2 out of 5 times I tried the test. But even w/ this I wasn't successful in doing a salt test w/ this hygro earlier in the week. I let it sit for 48+ hours and was still reading 55%. The same result I kept getting w/ every salt test I've tried. idk what I'm doing wrong because it sounds right, looks good, looks right, I'm just not getting results.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Sarge said:


> definitely helped seeing photos of everything. definitely still didn't do anything for me.
> 
> Just going off what I found online w/ no pictures I did it right maybe 2 out of 5 times I tried the test. But even w/ this I wasn't successful in doing a salt test w/ this hygro earlier in the week. I let it sit for 48+ hours and was still reading 55%. The same result I kept getting w/ every salt test I've tried. idk what I'm doing wrong because it sounds right, looks good, looks right, I'm just not getting results.


Ok, if I'm reading you right, I think you misunderstand the process. When you do the salt test correctly, the humidity inside the bag *is* 75%....even if your hygrometer still says 55%. At that point, you adjust your hygrometer to read 75%, as it is in an environment that you *know* is 75%. If your hygrometer can't be adjusted/calibrated, you can and should still salt test it, to find out for sure how accurate or inaccurate it is.

What kind of hygrometer do you have?


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## marked (Jul 29, 2010)

Sarge said:


> definitely helped seeing photos of everything. definitely still didn't do anything for me.
> 
> Just going off what I found online w/ no pictures I did it right maybe 2 out of 5 times I tried the test. But even w/ this I wasn't successful in doing a salt test w/ this hygro earlier in the week. I let it sit for 48+ hours and was still reading 55%. The same result I kept getting w/ every salt test I've tried. idk what I'm doing wrong because it sounds right, looks good, looks right, I'm just not getting results.


What kind of hygrometer are you testing?

Ooops...just noticed that Cliff asked the same question.


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## Sarge (Nov 21, 2010)

I have the PoS from Thompson. No I can't adjust it.

I do have a Hygro Set coming from CI that'll be here this week. Someones sending a Boveda pack as well so I should get squared away with that for sure. Still, @ 55% it can't be off that much. My mixture ratio? Maybe the baggies and too thin? each time I've tested that's all I get is 55% steady. Be it after 4-8 hours or after 48+ hours. After this last test I tossed it in my humidor and it rose to 80%. I had just put an additional saucer w/ sponge in there that was still a little warm. When I had it in my tupperdor it read 70% and the cigars were right around 70% a little too moist and burned extremely slow. Of course since last night the beads in the humidor aren't taking in much moisture since they're still predominately white while the hygro read about 70% most of the day and is down to 66%. I'd say the humidor has to be seasoned... I don't know... hopefully I'll figure everything out w/ the Boveda and a new Hygro. I just can't figure out why this doesn't read w/ a salt test yet it seems to be correct in the tupperdor. Maybe it just has to great of error?


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## AbstraKt (Aug 24, 2010)

Many thanks to OP.

It looks like I have the same digi-hygrometer you used in this tutorial. I have followed these steps to achieve 75% humidity however, I have run into a couple of roadblocks.

1, after a few hours, when I have attempted to "correct" the readout by twisting the dial a few clicks within the confines of the bag, there is no change. Did I just get a dud of a hygro?

2, when I started the process all over again to achieve an accurate readout without correction, when I tried to press the "set" button, the digital readout looked as if it had been reset and the temp./RH% values changed.

I'm probably doing something wrong... pls advise.


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

You won't see any change on RH% until you press the "Set" button. You want the RH% to be reading 75% after you press the button to know that the hygrometer is calibrated. I actually think the "Set" button is a equivalent of powering On/Off the hygrometer. In any count:

If you got 75% after pressing "Set", you're done.

1. If you get over 75% after pressing "Set", turn the dial to the left (each click will decrease RH% by ~1%) and press "Set" again.

2. If you get under 75% after pressing "Set", turn the dial to the right (each click will increase RH% by ~1%) and press "Set" again.

Repeat the above 2 steps until your hygrometer reads 75% inside the bag.

Also, take temperature into consideration when you calibrate (Look under Sodium Chloride): http://www.omega.com/temperature/z/pdf/z103.pdf

Example: At 70°F, your RH range will be 75.06±0.45 (74.31 ~ 75.51). You should aim for 75%, but 74~76% is acceptable.


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## AbstraKt (Aug 24, 2010)

Appreciate the quick response. I will try this as soon as I get home tonight.


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## Mr. Slick (Aug 17, 2010)

gahdzila said:


> Excellent how-to! I think this is sticky-worthy!!!


I think so too! T Man explained it simply and easy to understand with great pics.:thumb:


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## pdxrealtor (Dec 11, 2010)

Mr. Slick said:


> I think so too! T Man explained it simply and easy to understand with great pics.:thumb:


Thanks OP... much appreciated!


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## ptpablo (Aug 22, 2010)

AbstraKt said:


> Many thanks to OP.
> 
> It looks like I have the same digi-hygrometer you used in this tutorial. I have followed these steps to achieve 75% humidity however, I have run into a couple of roadblocks.
> 
> ...


Hygroset II??? If you are off say 4 degrees after the salt test, when you turn the dial 4 clicks the number will not change but you still need to hit the set button and then re-test to see if you moved it the 4 degrees.they are very tempermental and will take a few tests to get it exact. just be careful when you turn the dial.


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## ptpablo (Aug 22, 2010)

T, great job on this!!! awesome pictures and solid info!!!


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

Thanks everyone! Glad I can be of help. It's the least I can do for this great community.


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## logos (Jul 27, 2010)

Again...well done Tman!


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## eberr (Dec 22, 2010)

I did the salt test on my hygro and calibrated it because it was off like 6%. I then retested it a couple days later just to see, and it was off like 1-2%, and then I took it to a friends house and put it in his humi with a cigar oasis and it was different from that. So my question...which reading should I go by? salt test or oasis?


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

I would test the calibration on the Oasis. It could be off calibration you know?  Even a NIST certified device needs to be calibrated once in a while. There's no miracle device *yet* that will do it for you.

One thing that scares me about these electronic devices is that it still needs a good hygrometer to adjust the humidity. If that sensor is off, it will end up over humidifying or under humidifying in a hurry. Bad juju when that happens.


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## eberr (Dec 22, 2010)

Very true. Thanks for the advice.


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## pdxrealtor (Dec 11, 2010)

vtxcigar said:


> I had read somewhere else that the saturated salt solution will be 70%, not
> 75%, so when I did it I calibrated my hygrometer off by 5%. I checked your
> link, and it looks pretty legit. Looks like time to recalibrate my hygro.
> Thanks for posting this!


I'm getting a dead 70% using an Oregon Scientific remote sensor. The error +/- 2%... hmmmm..

would it matter if it's kosher salt.....


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

pdxrealtor said:


> I'm getting a dead 70% using an Oregon Scientific remote sensor. The error +/- 2%... hmmmm..
> 
> would it matter if it's kosher salt.....


I didn't know what the difference between kosher salt and table salt was either, so I looked it up.

Kosher vs. table vs. sea salts : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network

It might be easier to get that proper salt/water mix with smaller granules. I would think water would take longer to go into the bigger crystal and saturate it. I dunno. It shouldn't matter if you have the salt saturated properly.


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## CigarSmokePhilosopher (Aug 18, 2010)

salt is good on fries


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

CigarSmokePhilosopher said:


> salt is good on fries


I use them on my grits too.


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## Lazzzzze (Dec 30, 2010)

You want to wait at least 8 hours. Best thing to do is set up the test right before going to sleep.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

Thanks Tman. Put my 2 cheap walmart hygros in the ziplock & a few hrs later both read 75% & the temps were only .2* different = 71.7 & 71.9 so I'm now pretty confident on the readings I'm getting in my 2 humis. Thanks again for the explanation & pics


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Lazzzzze said:


> You want to wait at least 8 hours. Best thing to do is set up the test right before going to sleep.


That's what I do. Set up the test before going to bed, hit the "calibrate" button the next morning, then leave them a few more hours to make sure.


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

gahdzila said:


> That's what I do. Set up the test before going to bed, hit the "calibrate" button the next morning, then leave them a few more hours to make sure.


Yup. I do that myself too.


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## zvan (Apr 14, 2012)

thanks for the post! very useful.


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## Naduals (Apr 23, 2012)

This is awesome. I never thought to make sure it was right. Must do tonight.


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## DaveVA (Dec 20, 2012)

The pictures tell a 1000 words! I was doin' it wrong, too. I do like the youtube video about drinking 6.5 cases of beer while you are waiting.


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## cigarmanor (Dec 17, 2012)

Great Post, agree, should a sticky.

I use this method for my hygrometers and it works like a charm. I have also used hygrometer calibration kits, the humidipak one step are the ones I have used, basically the same concept but its mindless to use.


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## sjcruiser36 (Dec 20, 2012)

Great post and pics, especially for a noob. Thanks again!!!


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## sjcruiser36 (Dec 20, 2012)

Two thumbs up, for the photos and information TMan. Thanks to everyone else for the tips also. I have a new humidor thats currently seasoning, and will be ready on Monday/Tuesday (using Boveda Seasoning for 14 days). I purchased some Xikar 50 humidification rounds (2) for the humidor, along with a digital hydrometer. The analog hydrometer and humidification tray (sponge type) that came with the humidor, I'll be using in a tupperware container that will be for overflow for now. I just started the salt test on the analog hydrometer, and will leave it overnight, so I"ll let you guys know how I make out tomorrow. Hopefully the mixture is correct, and looking at the photos it should be. I have a gallon of distilled water, along with a bottle of PG Solution. Can you also use the PG solution in the foam trays/humidification unit in place of the distilled water? Thanks for the tips and help.


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## sjcruiser36 (Dec 20, 2012)

It's been almost 24 hours, and the gauge on the analog hydrometer hasn't budged from 68% since this morning. It did rise quickly from 40% out of the box, to 68" when I checked it overnight. The location of the needle is sitting on the "IDEAL" mark thats on the gauge. Is this OK, or should I perform another salt test, just to make sure the reading is correct. Thanks


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## shawnrichardson (Jan 7, 2013)

thanks for the info T. I will be checking my hygrometers tonight. Nice tutorial.


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## Mac05 (Jan 20, 2013)

This thread is great and definitely a huge help to new people like me. I just got my hygrometer and boveda packs in the mail today so I am setting up a salt test so that I can get everything set up in a day or two


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